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I recently read a report prepared by a group Hope Consulting – “Money for Good II” which researched factors motivating donor preferences for supporting financially a charitable organization. The motivation for the research was to gain a deeper understanding of the ‘voice of the customer’ for charitable giving – what drives an individual, or a granting organization […]

The expectation of an arts organization holding an endowment is to receive a stable long term income to support their mission/programming and assist in covering operating costs. Endowment income is also a source for funding to implement change, education and programs to build audiences.     Long Term Perpetual Funds The majority of endowments with

The 2013 Federal Budget contains a number of items that will be of interest to charities. The government references a continued dialogue with the charitable sector on measures that can increase the number of Canadians making donations. Initiatives promoted by the charitable sector, such as the ‘stretch tax credit’ or capital gains tax relief on

People of all means give time, and money to support an art form, artists and organizations important to them. That desire to contribute can be lifelong, and is a process that evolves from being a volunteer, to financial support and ultimately a bequest or legacy gift. The process of determining how support moves from time,

Whether you are the Executive Director, Artistic Director, Development Manager or Board member, if you are actively involved in the administration of an arts organization, it is likely that you get involved in conversations with donors – individuals and families whose time and financial support help sustain your organization and its programs. Some people have

Supporters of arts organizations commit support in a number of different ways:       Purchasing tickets/subscriptions and attending regular arts programs   Volunteer support to the organization’s activities and administration   Financial support through annual campaigns, special events, and special purpose campaigns   Prospective New Supporters Maintaining current records and information about supporter’s can

Arts managers ask us – why hold money in an endowment, where we only receive income and can never access the invested capital ? Investment returns have fallen and I’m not sure I can count on receiving income.         Capital Funds Capital funds, whether endowed (income only and capital is invested in

The last four years have adversely affected the ability of many arts organizations to raise funds and plan future arts programs: investment returns have been volatile, market declines impacted donations of securities, government funding is more variable and audience levels declined (and have not yet returned to pre-recession levels for much of the sector). Managing

A very readable report on the role of culture in a select group of cities across the world was recently published by the City of London. The paper World Cities Culture Report 2012 is a detailed analysis of a select group of world capitals, with a goal of demonstrating the role culture plays in urban

Since joining the OAF two years ago, I’ve constantly been impressed with how creative and entrepreneurial arts organizations are in managing sometimes ‘scarce’ resources as they deliver creative and outstanding programs.         Culture Professionals Network The Guardian in the UK publishes an interesting blog:  Culture Professionals Network .  A recent update (13/08/12) describes how UK